Eyes on Fire
by StormDragonSlayer
Summary: Eric Wolfe is the adopted brother of Ruby Rose and Yang Xiao Long. When he gets an invitation to Beacon Academy, he uses it as a chance to train so he can better protect the ones he cares about. But this partner thing might ruin his distant intent. Especially when his is a girl with eyes that can burn his walls down. OCxOOC Cinder. Title is based off a song by Blue Foundation.
1. The Beginning

**Hey, guys! This was an idea that has been rolling around in my head for about a week or so, since I started watching RWBY. So, I guess, sit back and enjoy! It won't follow the story exactly, but there will be some elements from it in here. I don't own RWBY or the characters, just the idea and my OCs. Hope you guys enjoy!**

 **P.S. I decide to rewrite the first part, seeing as I had a much better idea for Eric's weapons, so...hope you guys enjoy!**

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The young man sprinted, his breath coming out in short pants. In his hand, he could feel the sweat on his younger sister's palm, her blonde hair flying behind her as she struggled to keep up. He sped up as he heard the howls behind them, but stopped as he heard a cry of pain from his sister, who had tripped and fallen. Racing back, he picked her up, recognizing the fear in her eyes. "Yang," he said, picking her up and placing her behind him, looking for the telltale burning red eyes of their pursuers. "Run for the house. Don't look back. I'll be there in a few." "But brother-" He silenced her with a look. "Go. You've got to protect Ruby, alright? I'll be okay." He felt Yang's arms around his waist in a brief hug, and with satisfaction he heard her take off through the trees towards their uncle's house. He breathed out a sigh of relief. One less thing that he'd have to worry about.

A low growl caused him to focus, as the pack of Beowolves broke through the trees, stopping and eyeing him warily. Reaching behind him, he grabbed his katana from its sheathe on his back, his left hand drawing the foot-long knife from the holster on his right hip. As he stared down the six creatures of Grimm in front of him, his mind emptied and focused, and he settled into a crouch, watching for an attack. It happened quickly, two of the monsters darting towards him, one slightly ahead of the other. As soon as the lead wolf got within striking distance, he lashed out, burying the katana in his right hand in the beast's chest and tossing it at the other before leaping in the air, somersaulting over the top of it and spinning as he landed, slashing the other beowolf across the flank and causing it to yelp and try to leap out of the way. Staying on the offensive, he followed it and buried his knife into its neck, slicing clean through the carotid artery. The beast gave a yelp before collapsing. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up, and he leaped in the air, back flipping over a lunge from a third wolf and putting his back to the city of Vale and his uncle's house, facing the remaining four of the Grimm. This time, instead of waiting, he initiated the attack, charging towards the lead beast, which stood its ground and slashed at him. He dodged and drove his katana into its heart, killing it. Withdrawing the blade, he flipped over two of them, slashing along their backs and drawing howls of pain from them. Unfortunately, he overestimated the distance of his jump, and landed too close to the fourth beast, which promptly slashed its claws down his chest, from his right shoulder to his left hip. He gritted his teeth and swung his knife at the beast's leg, removing it at the elbow joint before taking it down with a backhanded slash across its windpipe. He turned and braced his katana across his body, blocking a lunge from one of the two remaining beasts. He dispatched it much the same as the last one, before racing to catch the final beast, which had begun prowling in the direction of his uncle's house. As he ran, he flicked his wrists, causing the weapons in his hands to convert into gun form, the katana in his right hand folding down into a short barreled shotgun, and the pistol converting into a high-caliber pistol. As he caught up, he took aim, firing off several shots from the pistol to draw the Grimm's attention. As the beast turned, he somersaulted over it's attack, a rather clumsy slash at his legs. Holstering the pistol, he instead relied on the shotgun. As the beast charged toward him, he fired first at its front leg, causing it to yelp in pain and glare at him in pain, and then, when it resumed its charge, he fired at its head, taking it clean off and ending the threat.

The young man let out a breath and groaned as the adrenaline faded, stumbling and bracing himself against a tree as pain flared along the three claw marks along his chest. He collapsed in a seated position against the oak tree as footsteps sounded from his right. A gray-haired man strode through the trees, eyeing him with curiosity. "Young man, are you injured?" The man asked. The young man, not feeling up for verbalizing with a stranger, nodded. The newcomer nodded, walking over to him. "Well, come then. There's a house of an old friend of mine nearby. You can rest and recover there, then I would like to have a chat with you." The young man merely nodded, grimacing as he stood and walked slowly after the stranger. "What's your name, pray tell?" The stranger asked, glancing at the young man, who couldn't be older than fifteen. "Erik." The young man replied, pressing an arm to his chest in an attempt to stem the blood flowing from it. "Erik Wolfe."

* * *

The young woman smirked as she flipped and cartwheeled along the rooftops of Vale, her long raven hair streaming behind her and her golden eyes flashing in the glare from the streetlamps. She let out a breathless laugh as she leapt a particularly large gap between two buildings, rolling to lessen the impact from landing and brushing herself off. As she made to take off again, she froze as she heard voices down in the street below. "Make sure that no one is watching, alright? Torchwick will kill us if we get caught." "Just get to work. There's no one around and if you do it quick, it'll stay that way." There was a multitude of murmured replies. The young woman crept to the edge of the roof, peering over the edge. There was a group of seven men down on the street, trying to break into the building whose roof she was on, which looked like a dust shop. Her eyes narrowed as she took a step back, as the men began to file into the shop, two of them carrying heavy cases.

She took another look over the edge, and noticed that two men had stayed outside of the shop, most likely as lookouts. Fortunately, they hadn't looked up, although they would have a hard time picking her out, as she had a black long sleeved shirt and black tights. Making a split-second decision, she leapt off of the roof, somersaulting and planting one of her high-heeled combat boots on one of the lookouts' shoulders, taking him down. He collapsed, and she punched him across the head, effectively knocking him out. His partner stumbled backwards, struggling to draw the pistol that was in a holster on his hip. She dashed after him, catching him square across the jaw with a left hook that knocked him to the ground, unconscious. The men inside however, had heard the commotion, and all five of them filed back outside, staring wide-eyed at their two comrades lying unconscious on the street, before their eyes flicked to her. She let out a disgusted snort as their eyes darkened with lust, seeing as the clothing she wore did little to hide her curves. "Hey, girly." Their leader stepped up, not bothering to hide the leer on his face. "You lost? Or just looking for a good time? I'm sure we could oblige." The men behind him chuckled darkly, steeping forward and drawing sidearms out of holsters and jackets. She snorted. "Yeah, right. I wouldn't let gutter slime like you touch me with a ten foot pole." She drew her twin blades from their sheaths on her back, twirling them and transforming them into the bow that she was much more comfortable with. Drawing and firing, she sent the men scrambling in different directions as three arrows struck the ground where they were just standing. Three of them rushed her, trying to take away the distance that wielding a bow required. Groaning, she twisted the bow in between her fingers, catching the blades in both hands. Then, the first man was on her, slashing at her with a wicked looking knife. She blocked it with the cross guard of her sword, rotating and planting a high kick in his abdomen, knocking all of the air out of his lungs and sending him crashing to the asphalt, wheezing in pain. Her next assailant hesitated, glancing at his fallen comrade, and that was the opening she needed. She flipped over the fallen guy, landing a two footed kick to the guy's stomach, who keeled over backwards, unconscious. She darted towards the last of the three, who backpedaled quickly, trying to get a shot off. The young woman grunted as the pistol went off, the bullet lodging in her side. She caught the attacker with a pommel slam to the cheek, knocking him unconscious. The remaining two at that point had fled down the street, leaving the two cases that she presumed were for dust behind.

The girl slumped against the wall, the only sound being the chirping of the crickets and the wheezing of the man who was still trying to get his breath back. She walked over to him and kicked him across the jaw, knocking him unconscious until the authorities could get there. Suddenly, she heard footsteps from the alley behind her. Spinning around quickly, she groaned as pain from the bullet wound tore through her side. As she slumped down on the street she noticed the footsteps belonging to a blonde woman in a purple and black cape. The woman hurried over to her. "Are you alright, child?" She asked, bending down and helping the girl to sit up. "Just what did you think you were doing, taking on those men by yourself?" The woman's voice was stern, but the girl merely smiled tiredly. "Teaching them a lesson. It's not polite to steal." The girl said. The woman sighed, hiding a chuckle at the girl's words. "Well, then, come on. Let's get you off of the street. What's your name?" The girl looked at her curiously before responding. "Cinder, My name is Cinder Fall."

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 **There ya go! Hope you guys enjoyed! Let me know what you guys think!**

 **May the sun be at your back and the wind fill your wings!**

 **-StormDragonSlayer**


	2. On the Road to Beacon

**Okay, here is chapter two of Eyes on Fire! Hope you guys enjoy!**

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Erik sat across the table from Ozpin, who was holding a cup of coffee generously provided by his Uncle Qrow. Eric scratched at the bandages, wincing at the pain and itchiness in his chest. Qrow had been furious that he would take on six Grimm all on his own, and had berated him about being brash and foolish as he had bandaged his wounds, informing Erik that they would scar quite heavily. Ozpin eyed Eric over his shaded spectacles, a curious look in his hazel eyes. Finally, Erik got tired of the silence. "So…" He said, glaring at Ozpin. Ozpin sighed, taking a sip of coffee, before setting it down to look Erik, steepling his hands under his chin. "I find you interesting, Mr. Wolfe. How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen, thanks for asking. Seventeen here in a few weeks." Erik said, glad to finally have a discussion. Ozpin nodded, sizing Erik up again. He was tall for being sixteen, already six feet tall and well-muscled, with short silver hair and piercing ice-blue eyes. Ozpin nodded. "Your weapons are…unique. Where did you get them?" He continued.

"I made them. Most people at Signal do. Why? Want some?" Erik asked, not seeing the point of the questioning. Ozpin sighed. "Where did you learn to fight like that?" Ozpin asked next. Erik pointed back at Qrow, who was currently reading in an armchair. "He taught me the basics, and I used those to create my own style. Still working on it a little…" Erik scratched at his bandages, looking down in disappointment. Ozpin chuckled. "It is rather effective. I don't think I've seen anyone your age take on a Beowolf like that, much less six of them. And to only pick up a single injury during that?" Ozpin leaned back in his chair, taking another sip of coffee before continuing. "Most impressive, Mr. Wolfe." Ozpin leaned forward, pinning Erik with a serious look. "How would you like to attend Beacon Academy?" Erik sat back, seriously considering the option. On one hand, Beacon was Remnant's most prestigious Hunter academy, training the best of the best, including the man who had adopted and trained him. On the other hand, he would be leaving everything and everyone he cared about behind. He glanced at Ruby and Yang, who were watching TV on the couch.

"Ach, don't worry about them." Qrow said, waving a hand at him. "Go get packed and head off. I'm sure they'll join you there. But until then, they'll be alright at Signal." Erik glanced at him, then back at Ozpin, who merely held his arms out to him. "The decision is up to you." Erik nodded. "I…I think I'll accept. After all, Beacon can only make me stronger." With that, he stood up, walking into his room and beginning to pack up things that he would take with him.

Ozpin looked at Qrow. "He certainly has their best interests at heart." He said, taking another sip of his coffee. Qrow sighed. "That's because we're all he has." He said, glancing at the door to Erik's room. "I found him wandering out there alone when he as a wee little thing. Brought him back here, and he grew up with Ruby and Yang. He's very protective of them, so I understand why he's so hesitant to just up and leave them." Qrow looked down. "We're his family, for all intents and purposes." Ozpin nodded, leaning back in his chair. "With his skills," he said, a serious look on his visage. "He could be vital to our fight against the Grimm."

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"You were reckless and foolish, you could have gotten yourself killed!" Cinder sat there, head bowed, as the blonde woman yelled at her. She shifted in her seat, wincing as pain flared in her side, which was now under bandages. "I'm sorry, ma'am." She replied meekly, hanging her head. The woman drew in a great breath. "And…you managed to stop a robbery, and take down five assailants on your own, only sustaining a minor injury in the process. That takes considerable skill, young lady." Cinder looked up, confused. The blonde was giving her a stern look over the top of her glasses, but she could also see a small smile playing around the corners of her mouth. "Do you know who I am, Cinder?" Cinder shook her head. "No, miss, I don't. I'm sorry…" The blonde merely waved her hand. "It's fine." She leaned forward and fixed Cinder with a piercing glare.

"My name, Miss Fall, is Glynda Goodwitch. I am a teacher at Beacon Academy. And I would like to formally invite you to attend next year." Cinder's eyes widened. This woman was from Beacon? All her life, she had dreamed of becoming a huntress, and now someone from Beacon was here, talking to her? She couldn't believe her luck. She hung her head in shame, though. "What's wrong, Miss Fall?" She heard Miss Goodwitch ask. She shook her head in response. "I don't have anyone to ask permission for…both of my parents are dead…" Glynda gasped. "Oh, my dear child…"

Cinder's head jerked up as she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. Miss Goodwitch had placed her hand there in comfort. "I'm so sorry for your loss, but you don't have to worry about that. It doesn't matter, Beacon will accept you, no matter what." Cinder smiled, an actual genuine smile. That was what she wanted, more than anything else. To be accepted. To have friends. To have a chance to be normal.

Well, as normal as a Huntress could be, anyways.

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The inside of the airship was nice and open, with windows for viewing their ascent towards the famous towers of Beacon Academy. Cinder was currently glued to the window, eyes wide in wonder at the scenery. The city of Vale stretched out below them, and she loved the view. Eventually, though, she tore herself away from the window to observe her fellow passengers. There were a lot, but the main ones that stood out to her were a couple who were sitting on a bench near another window, and a lone young man who was sitting against the back wall, a katana strapped to his back and what looked like a machete on his hip. Deciding to introduce herself to the loner first, she picked her way over to him, absentmindedly tugging at the bottom of her new sweater. After accepting the offer to attend Beacon a couple of nights ago, Miss Goodwitch had taken her shopping for new clothes. Currently, it was a maroon sweater and black jeans. Other than that, her lone suitcase carried an assortment of clothes, as well as a few books from the rundown apartment that she had called home.

Reaching the lone boy in the back, she gave a cheery wave, securing his attention as he slid off one of his headphones, giving her a look that was somewhere on the interest scale between _not_ and _I will decapitate you._ "Hey!" She started, smiling widely. The young man stared at her for a second, then shrugged and resumed staring into space. Cinder huffed in annoyance, vaguely registering the music that was coming out of the headphone currently resting behind his ear. She decided to try again. "My name's Cinder." She said, extending a hand down for him to shake. He glanced at it, his blue eyes pretty much emotionless, before grasping it briefly yet firmly. "Eric." He replied curtly, his voice surprisingly deep, with a certain melodious quality to it. Releasing her hand, he replace the headphone over his ear, effectively ending their conversation. Sighing, she turned and made her way to the window, next to the pair she had spotted earlier.

"Boy, he sounds like a social one." One of them, a girl around her age with bright blue hair and brown eyes said, she walked over and joined Cinder at the window. "I'm Holly, Holly Oak. What about you?" She looked expectantly at Cinder, who was taken aback that someone came up and talked to her. "I'm Cinder Fall. It's really nice to meet you!" She shook Holly's hand, and then Holly waved over her companion, who was a young man with crazy orange hair that stuck up all over the place and a pair of yellow-lensed goggles sitting just below his hairline. "This is my friend, Omar Kent." Omar smiled and held out his hand, which Cinder gladly shook. They fell into easy conversation, and in no time at all, they were landing in front of Beacon. As she made to step off of the airship, someone bumped into her from behind, making her stumble and almost fall. As she whirled around, intent on giving the person what for, she was faced with an intimidating young man, currently sneering down at her.

"Tch." The young man sneered, walking down the ramp and past her. "The peasants should learn their place." Growling, she made to get up and go after him, but someone had already grabbed the young snob. Eyes widening, Cinder recognized the young man from the back of the airship, Eric. "Apologize." He growled, his eyes showing emotion for the first time, anger shining in them. The young man sneered, trying to jerk out of his hold. "I don't have to. You are all so far beneath me, it isn't funny." Finally succeeding in wrenching free of his hold, his hand went to his hip, where a rapier waited. "You'll pay for disrespecting me like-" As fast as the young man tried to be, Eric was faster. Before the rapier ever cleared its scabbard, the tip of Eric's knife was pressed into the boy's chest, and Eric stood there, not breaking a sweat. "I believe," Eric said, menacing calm dripping from his voice, "that you owe Cinder here an apology. Take out your anger on me any time you want, but first, apologize." The boy hurriedly stammered out an apology, wincing as the tip of the knife pressed roughly against his ribcage, before grabbing his luggage cart and swiftly wheeling away. Cinder sat there stunned, as did Holly and Omar. Eric stood there for a moment, before flourishing his knife and retuning it to its holster. Glancing down at her, then at the other two, he walked off towards the building, leaving them all dumbstruck. "Um," Omar said, staring after the silver-haired teen, "what the dust was that?" Cinder shrugged, staring after the silver-haired teen. He was rather interesting, if Cinder didn't say so herself.

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Cinder tried to find some sleep that night, sprawled out in a sleeping bag on the floor of Beacon's cafeteria. From her left side, Holly's snores were like a chainsaw in her ear, keeping her awake. She briefly wondered if any of the teachers had duct tape, and whether or not that was acceptable for new friends. Rolling over, she frowned. At least someone was still awake, as the soft light of a scroll was on against the back wall. She shrugged, closing her eyes and trying to get some sleep, only to jump and growl under her breath as Holly let loose another titanic snore. Sliding out of her sleeping bag, she walked over towards the light, intent on just sitting, but she hesitated when she realized that it was Eric, the boy from the airship. Steeling herself, she marched over, spreading out her stuff a respectable distance away, before lying down, facing him. He glanced at her, then shrugged and returned to whatever he was doing on his scroll. Cinder took the time to study him. He was rather attractive, at least to her, with his silver hair cut short to keep it out of his face, his clear blue eyes flicking back and forth across the screen. He was well-muscled and tall, about six feet tall. Suddenly, Cinder almost jumped out of her skin when he spoke.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer." Eric slid his scroll into his bag and stretched, glancing over at the girl from the airship, Cinder. He looked her over, scoffing at her cat pajama pants, and then curled up underneath the blanket that he brought. Tomorrow's initiation ceremony was going to be rough, he could already tell.

* * *

 _Smoke and fire drifted through the air, and the stench of blood assaulted Eric's nostrils. As he dashed through the streets towards Beacon, his mind was racing._ I have to get to her. I have to stop her. I won't lose her like this! _He slid underneath the outstretched claws of an Ursa, slashing his katana through its neck and taking its head clean off. Rolling to his feet, he resumed his mad dash towards Beacon, dodging past pitched battles between Hunter and Grimm and dodging random pieces of rubble from the buildings. Reaching the tower, he groaned as he saw the damage done to the once proud academy. Large chunks of rubble littered the courtyard, the source being a massive hole in the side of the building. Scaling the largest piece, he pumped his Aura into his legs and leaped from the highest point of the jagged piece of stone. His outstretched hand caught the lip of the opening in the side of the building, and he bashed into the hard stone exterior. Hissing in pain, he heaved himself up and sprinted for the nearest stairwell, taking them two at a time. Reaching a landing, he tripped over a stray piece of rubble, crying out as his ankle twisted. He shook his head, trying to block out the pain. He continued his mad dash towards the roof. Reaching the door to the top of the tower, Eric rammed his shoulder against it, falling through it and sprawling to the ground. Raising his head, he saw a pale-skinned woman at the edge of the tower, holding a girl by the throat over the edge. He cried out as the pale-skinned woman loosened her fingers. "No, DON'T!"_

Eric sat bolt upright, breathing heavily. He vaguely noticed the first rays of sunshine breaking through the windows as he tried to recover from the nightmare. Shaking his head, he cast it off, but the terror that he had felt at the end stuck in the back of his mind.

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 **Alright, that was chapter two! leave a review, follow or favorite if you enjoyed, and I'll see you guys nest time!**

 **-StormDragonSlayer**


	3. Initiation, Part One

**Hey guys, Storm here, and I have Chapter three of Eyes on Fire here for you guys! There's a lot of switching back and forth in this chapter, so apologies for that. Hope you guys enjoy, and follow, favorite, or review if you do!**

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Erik rolled his shoulders back, staring out over the forest and half-listening to the explanation from Ozpin as to what the initiation entailed. "You will travel through the Emerald Forest to the ruins on the far side, pairing up with the first person you make eye contact along the way. THis person will be your partner for the four years that you will be at Beacon. Those pairs with matching items will be put onto teams." He indicated the platforms they were standing on. "You will have to come up with your own landing strategy, though."

"Wait, landing strategy?" Omar asked from his position at the end of the line of youths, his grey-green eyes wide with apprehension. Ozpin merely nodded, and Omar gulped before being sent flying through the air with a slightly wimpy scream. Holly was the next one launched, her staff already drawn from behind her back. As students were launched, Eric and Cinder stood next to each other, Cinder trying to come up with a landing strategy, and Eric…humming. Just humming. But in his head his mind raced. He didn't come to Beacon to get partnered with someone and waste four years of his life. He was here to get stronger, so that he could protect the people he loved. As Cinder was launched into the air, he wondered just how much trouble he could get in for not finding a partner. His last thought before being launched through the air was whether or not Ruby and Yang would laugh at him if he got sent home.

Probably.

Cinder breathed deeply through her nose as she flew through the air, her eyes closed. She laughed softly as she felt the wind brush past her skin. She opened her eyes, noticing that she was falling instead of flying. Drawing her bow, she fired an arrow with a rope attached to it into a tree, swinging from the rope and landing softly on the ground. Sheathing her bow, she looked around. Her first objective was to stay alive long enough to find a partner. Nodding to herself, she set off at a run.

She couldn't help but notice when the wind picked up.

Erik cruised along through the air, keeping an eye on his scroll, tucked into the sleeve of the navy blue hoodie he had on. He was using his semblance over the wind to fly a lot further than the other newbies, and his Aura was still in the green zone. He smirked. No, he really didn't have a need for a partner. He would do fine on his own. Suddenly, an unearthly shriek drew him from his thoughts. Looking around, Erik failed to see anything of interest. The shriek sounded again, and this time Erik looked up.

Right into the beak of a diving Nevermore.

Cinder looked around as the wind shifted. Before now, if it was blowing at all, it was a soft breeze coming from the southeast. Now, it was blowing in strong gusts towards the direction they were launched. She looked around, and then nearly jumped out of her skin as a shriek sounded out from above her. Looking up, she gasped as she saw a small figure playing dodge 'em with a massive Nevermore. Her hand covered her mouth as the Nevermore caught the figure with a wing, sending them crashing towards the ground below.

Erik's breath left his lungs in a huff. He was sent flying by the Nevermore, landing with a mighty thud in a crater on the ground. Dazed, he tried to stand, only to wince and groan at the pain in his back. Hearing the screech from above again, he looked up. The Nevermore was circling back around, preparing for another attack. Suddenly, a face entered his field of vision, eyes wide with worry. Unable to look away in time, Erik found himself looking at a pair of amber eyes. Great. Now he had a partner.

"Get down!" Cinder yelped as she was shoved away, just in time, as a barrage of feathers hit the ground right where she had been crouching in front of Erik. "Erik!" She cried, worried for her new partner, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him crouched on the opposite side of the clearing. He glanced her way, and she was surprised to see a look of frustration cross his face. He drew his katana and flicked his wrist, and Cinder was shocked to see the katana fold in on itself, transforming into a short-barreled lever action shotgun. Cradling it, he raked his eyes across the sky, trying to find where the Nevermore had gone, but it had disappeared. Sighing, he stood up, the shotgun hanging by his side, and walked over to her, offering a hand. "Come on. That thing will be back, and now that we're stuck together," at this, he scoffed. "We might want to get a move on." Hoisting her to her feet, he strode off towards the north, leaving Cinder scrambling to catch up. "Hey, wait!" She yelled, catching up and grabbing him by the shoulder. He whirled around, grasping her wrist and forcing it above her head. She gasped at the hard look in his eyes. "Alright, listen. I don't want a partner, and I don't need a partner. And just because I am now stuck with you, doesn't mean I'm going to change my mind. If you're going to tag along, then stay. Out. Of. My. Way." At this, he dropped her wrist, turning and stalking off. Cinder stood there, stunned. His words echoed through her head. He didn't want a partner? What kind of person was he? Did he think that he could do this himself? Shaking her head, she ran off after him. For better or worse, she'd have to try and change his mind.

That was what a partner did.

Erik stalked through the underbrush, swatting at some branches that were in the way. Stupid girl wouldn't understand why he didn't need a partner. He didn't need anyone else to get stronger. Strength was a personal adventure. No one could gain you strength, no one could give you power. Power and strength had to be earned by that person, otherwise it would be a power that they wouldn't understand. He continued to mull over his thoughts as he walked, not feeling the malevolent gaze that was fixated on his back.

Cinder sprinted through the bushes, raising her arms to protect her face from some of the low hanging branches. She was determined to catch up with her albeit reluctant partner, to show him that she was competent and at least deserved a shot. Breaking through into a small clearing, her eyes widened as she saw Erik stalking towards the other side, clearly lost in thought, and not noticing the massive Beowolf that was right behind him. Lowering her head, she darted forward, drawing her swords and leaping up the Grimm's back, slashing at its shoulders and successfully drawing its attention away from Erik, who looked up sharply, startled at the massive Grimm behind him. As Cinder leapt clear, Erik aimed his shotgun and fired, catching the Grimm right in the chest, but the plates of armor absorbed the blast, and the beast glared at him, letting loose a rolling growl. Erik's eyes narrowed, and he flicked his wrist again, the katana folding out to its full length. He reached down with his right hand and drew the machete that Cinder had seen on his hip on the airship, spinning it around in his hand as it converted into a high-caliber, long-barreled pistol. Cinder glared at him, her own black-bladed swords seeming antique by comparison.

Cinder darted over to Erik's side, standing behind and a little to the side of him. "For someone who doesn't need a partner," She snapped, glaring daggers at the tall boy, "you really need to learn how to watch your own back." Erik recoiled slightly, and looked apologetic, muttering something that sounded like a "thank you" before darting in towards the Beowolf, firing shots from his pistol to keep it off balance. The Grimm, not fazed at all by the dust rounds ricocheting off its armor plates, swiped a heavy paw at him, causing him to roll out of the way. The Grimm turned, and Cinder saw an opening, darting in and slashing her sword along the beast's flank, drawing a yelp of pain out of it. The Grimm spun, trying to keep both of them in its line of sight, before throwing its head back and releasing a powerful howl. Cinder clapped her hands over her ears to protect them from the booming sound, and she could tell that Erik was having trouble with his hearing as well.

Cutting off the sound, the Beowolf lunged towards her, lashing out with a paw. She crossed her swords in front of herself to defend against the blow, but the force threw her backwards into a tree. The impact forced all of the air out of her lungs, and she collapsed onto all fours, trying desperately to draw in oxygen. A shadow fell over her, and she glanced up, straight into the malevolent red eyes of the Beowolf. It raised its paw ready to finish her off, and she closed her eyes, waiting for the blow.

Except it never came. Her eyes opened, and she looked up again, to find the navy hoodie Erik was wearing filling her field of vision. The silver-haired teen was struggling to hold off the Beowolf's blow with his blades. "Well?!" He grunted, vainly pushing against the Grimm's leg. "Don't just sit there! MOVE!" Regaining her awareness, Cinder scooped up her blades and rolled away from the pair, filling her lungs with oxygen. Turning, she saw Erik flick his katana again, folding it down into its shotgun form and firing a round point-blank into the beast's chest, sending it flying backwards. He dashed over to her, his eyes on the Grimm as it rolled to its feet. "Bastard is tough, dammit." He said, spinning his pistol around a finger and catching the now-extended knife in a backhanded grip. Cinder twirled her blades, connecting them into her bow. Erik glanced over at it, his eyes showing a mixture of appreciation and calculation. "Nice." He said simply. They both refocused as the Beowolf charged. Erik darted to meet it, staying just out of reach of the beast's claws and almost taunting it. It wasn't until Cinder caught Erik glancing her way that she realized what was going on. Erik was drawing its attention, allowing her a few free shots. Drawing three arrows, she shot them all at the Grimm, burying all three into its spine. The beast jerked as each arrow entered it, and it let out a final growl before Erik leapt up and beheaded it, dissolving it into shadow.

Erik knelt there, his chest heaving as he gasped for breath. Raising his head, he saw his partner-he should probably consider her as that, since she saved his life-collapse against a tree, breathing just as hard. Standing, he made his way over to her, offering his hand, which she gladly accepted as he hoisted her to her feet. "Nice shooting…partner." He said, hanging his head. "Listen. I...want to apologize for my words earlier. I was wrong to say those things." Cinder glared at him. "I'm going to make you eat those words." She challenged. Erik took a step back. "No one can do everything by themselves. Everyone needs someone to watch their back." Cinder smiled. "Just in case there's a Beowolf behind them." Erik scratched at the back of his head. "Yeah, thanks for that. Guess I got a little distracted." Suddenly, a resounding screech sounded from overhead, and they both glanced up. Their old friend the Nevermore was back. "Come on!" Erik said, dashing off into the woods, Cinder close on his heels.

Life just got a whole lot more interesting for the pair of them.

* * *

 **There you go! Chapter three is up, and the second half of the initiation process will be next up. Now, to answer review(s)!**

 **FearTheGhostKing: I'm glad you enjoyed it! I always liked to imagine what would happen if Cinder were a Huntress, and this story explores that a little. Thanks for the review!**

 **With that out of the way, I'll talk to you guys in the next chapter!**

 **May the sun always be at your back and the wind fill your wings!**

 **-StormDragonSlayer**


	4. Initiation, Part Two

**Hey, guys, Storm here! My SINCEREST apologies for the long break, not just on this, but on all of my stories. With work and trying to get things worked out for the next semester of school, I've lacked both time and motivation to write, but I sat down and managed to slam through the ending to this chapter. Hope you guys enjoy, and I'll TRY to make uploads more regularly, but no promises.**

 **Also: I am working on a one-shot set in this universe, but it's a long way coming and I don't know if I'll upload it. Leave me some if you want to read it, but be warned, it'll contain MAJOR spoilers for where I want this story to go.**

 **To answer reviews:**

 **tyson113: Thanks! I'll try! ;)**

 **As always, I own nothing, the characters of RWBY belong to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth, follow, favorite, and review if you enjoyed, I love the feedback, and have yourselves an awesome day!**

 **Storm OUT!**

* * *

Holly strode through the forest, whistling with her hands on top of her head, her staff strapped to her back. She looked around, making sure she was still heading north, then tensed as a crackling was heard from behind her. She whirled around, only to laugh with relief as she saw her friend (and maybe more) Omar walk out of the bushes, his gauntlets gleaming in the mid-afternoon sun. "What's up, partner?" he said, a smile on his face. Holly smirked.

"Apparently, your balls. I didn't know your voice could go that high." Omar blushed, scratching the back of his neck, which was kind of adorable, since the young man was almost seven feet tall.

"You, uh, you heard that, huh?" He asked, smiling ruefully. Holly nodded, her eyes gleaming mischievously.

"Come on, big guy. We've still got to collect this relic thingy." With a chuckle, the pair set off northwards, towards the ruins.

Erik panted heavily as he dodged another salvo of dart-like feathers from the Nevermore above them. They had been running for about ten minutes from the giant bird-like Grimm, and it was no closer to giving up then they were. Erik groaned as he rolled past another volley and out into an open area, a flat plain with what remained of a temple set against a cliff. "Great!" he shouted sarcastically. Cinder looked over at him with a questioning look. "No more hiding!" He answered. Cinder grimaced, drawing her blades from behind her back.

"We need to get it closer to the ground! I can't really do anything from this range!" Erik nodded, pulling his pistol from its holster. Rolling to avoid another volley of feathers, he came up crouched and fired several shots at the Nevermore, causing it to shriek and flap its wings powerfully, buffeting the two initiates with strong gusts of wind. Erik groaned. This could get ugly.

"Omar, did you hear that?" Holly asked, her head darting to the left as she stopped walking.

"Yeah." Omar replied. He pressed a button on the gauntlet on his left hand, and it expanded into a circular buckler-style shield. He began to walk towards the screech, flicking his right gauntlet, a blade extending from the front. Holly followed behind him, her staff unstrapped from her back as she stalked along in a hunter's crouch. After about five minutes, the pair came to a clearing covered with Nevermore feathers. Holly gasped as Cinder rolled past them to avoid another volley, as Erik stood off to the side, blood running down the side of his arm as he fired round after round from a black long-barreled pistol. "Come on!" She said, rushing out and parrying a feather that would have taken Cinder's head off.

"Holly!" Cinder said, a look of relief on her face. "Thank Dust that you're here!" Holly nodded, focusing on the Nevermore that was currently circling around for another pass.

"Omar!" Holly shouted. The big teen looked over at her. "Springboard!" She shouted, sprinting towards him. Omar nodded, readying himself and facing away from the Nevermore. As Holly leaped into the air, Omar pulled the trigger on the grip of his shield, and small firing mechanisms around the rim went off, providing upward thrust as Holly's sneakers made contact with the bronze disk, catapulting her towards the Nevermore at a colossal rate of speed. The nevermore snapped its beak at her as she flashed past, but she rolled to the side, whacking at it with her staff before she flew behind it, and she folded her staff in half, pulling the trigger and releasing a hail of bullets. She cheered her quick thinking…until she looked down. "Uh-oh." She gulped, falling through the air. This one was going to hurt.

"Eric!" Cinder called, pointing to the falling girl. Looking in the direction she pointed, he nodded. "Cover me!" He shouted, and Omar nodded. Erik closed his eyes, his brow creasing as he focused on the air patterns. Holly's eyes popped open when, instead of slamming into the ground, she landed gently on her feet. Looking around, she saw Erik with his eyes closed, panting slightly and sweating. His eyes opened and the wind around her dissipated. "Tha…thanks." Holly said, still trying to regain her bearing.

"No problem." Erik breathed, trying to catch his breath. Holy refocused on the Nevermore above them, as it circled back for another pass. "Oi, you, big guy." Erik said. Omar looked at him, seemingly a little miffed. "It's Omar." He replied. Erik nodded. "Omar, my bad. Do you think you can use that move with me?" Omar shrugged. "I could, but I doubt that I could get the altitude that I got with Holly…" He trailed off as Erik shook his head. "I'm not worried about that. Can you pull it off?" Omar though for a second, before readying himself. "Let's do this." Nodding, Erik started running towards him, and somersaulted through the air towards Omar, who caught him on his shield and launched him in the air.

True to what Omar said, he didn't get quite the altitude that Holly got, but he got just enough to bury his knife in the Nevermore's torso, causing to let loose an ear-piercing shriek. Hanging on for dear life, Erik unsheathed his katana from behind his back and used it and his knife as ice picks to climb onto the Nevermore's back. Folding down his katana, he fired a round into the beast's wing joint, almost tearing it off and forcing it to drop in altitude, into Holly and Cinder's range of fire. They immediately fired off a barrage of dust rounds and arrows at the massive bird, causing it to shriek and drop even further towards the ground. Finally, it landed, trying to shake Erik off from his perch in between its wings. He jumped clear, slashing at the base of its other wing. The Nevermore shrieked and hopped forward, Erik narrowly rolling out of the way of its beak as it sought to impale him.

Cinder gasped as Erik dodged the Nevermore. She didn't know why, but the thought of him being hurt filled her with dread. Ignoring Holly's warning, she darted forward, firing arrows at the bird. One of the arrows got lucky and buried itself in the Nevermore's neck, causing it to shriek with pain. Holly ran past her, leaping into the air and firing a barrage into the Grimm's back, which mad it try to turn to face her, and Omar darted in, blade flashing as it bit into the beast's exposed windpipe. The beast gave a gurgling cry before collapsing into a heap on the ground, which melted into a pool of shadows.

Erik collapsed onto the ground, breathing heavily. Taking a glance at his scroll, he noticed that his aura was dangerously close to gone. He sighed, he'd have to be more careful in the future. A hand entered his vision, and he grasped it, letting Omar pull him to his feet. "Thanks." He grunted. "No problem." Omar responded, walking back towards the girls, who were seated on the grass, trying to catch their breath. "Come on, guys. We've still got to get this relic thingy." Erik said, offering Cinder his hand. He helped her to her feet, and together the four of them made their way towards the ruins.

"Our next team…" Ozpin said, standing behind a podium on the auditorium stage, "is team ECHO, consisting of Erik Wolfe, Cinder Fall, Holly Oak, and Omar Kent." The four of them made their way onto the stage, beaming. "The leader of Team ECHO," Ozpin continued, eyeing the four of them, "will be Erik Wolfe. Good luck, Team ECHO." The four of them glanced at each other. Things were just starting to get interesting for the young Hunters.

* * *

 **There ya go! Hope you guys enjoyed, and I'll see you next time!**

 **Until we meet again, may the sun always be at your back and the wind fill your wings!**

 **~StormDragonSlayer**


	5. Class Act

**Hey, guys, Storm here! I'm back with chapter five of Eyes on Fire. Things are going to be slowing down just a tad for a little bit in this story, so bear with it please!**

 **On the other hand, I have most of the story planned out and written down, I just need to translate it onto here, so yay!**

 **ALSO! Special thanks to the following people!**

 **Baconlord53: I'm glad! Hopefully I can keep it up!**

 **tyson113: Thank you very much! I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

 **dramabug15: *blushes* Oh, stop it, you...**

 **Crosswald: Hello again! I realized that it does seem a little rushed, but don't worry. It will be a while (in story time, maybe not in chapter time, but I'll get to that.) before they actually do get together. But anyways, thank you for the review!**

 **Thank you guys so much for the positivity and the input, and I'll TRY not to make the gap between chapters so long!**

 **STORM OUT!**

* * *

 _Two weeks later_

Erik woke up to the sound of his alarm, stretching and yawning before shutting off his scroll. Looking around, he rolled upright and made his way to the bathroom. One of the perks of being the first one awake is that he got the shower first. He grabbed his clothes out of his dresser and started the water, looking at himself in the mirror. Even if it had only been two weeks since he had left home, he swore he looked different. His six-foot-tall frame had filled out, gaining a little bit of muscle, and his silver hair had grown out a little, growing into a messy mop. Once the shower was warmed up, he undressed and got in. As he let the warm water run over his bare chest, he stood and thought about his teammates. Holly, a short, hyperactive girl with dark skin, bright, sky-blue hair, and brown eyes, was rather fun to hang around with, but her eternal optimism kind of dragged on his nerves. Omar, a giant of a young man with bright orange hair and green eyes, along with a pair of yellow-lensed goggles, kind of mellowed her out, with a sense of humor and a wisdom beyond his years. And then there was Cinder. Erik didn't know what to think about his partner. She of the long black hair and golden eyes, of sharp mind and sharper tongue. Her personality was optimistic, and she tried to see the best in people, at least from what he could tell. While it sometimes got on his nerves, he admired her for it. It certainly was a more positive outlook than his.

After finishing washing up, he shut the water off and hopped out, toweling off and grabbing his clothes, a black three-quarter sleeve shirt and a pair of cargo shorts. The scabbard for his katana was strapped to his back, and his knife holster was slid into the rear belt loops of his shorts. His black combat boots came up over his ankles, and although they were scuffed and worn from years of use, they were his favorite article of clothing, comfortable and warm. Grabbing his duffel bag, he looked at his watch before smirking and placing a pair of earplugs in. Grabbing an airhorn from underneath his bed, he readied it. Looks like his team would need a little extra motivation getting up this morning.

Cinder tossed and turned in her sleep, a rare nightmare invading her dreams.

 _Cinder buried her dual blades in one of the weak spots in a Goliath's armor, holding on for dear life as the beast thrashed and tried to throw her off. Finally, with a thunderous roar, it collapsed, Cinder jumping clear as the beast dissolved into shadow. Panting heavily, she landed in a crouch, searching desperately for the rest of her team. Holly was doing battle with a group of Beowolves, and holding her own rather well. Omar was duking it out with an Ursa Major, deflecting its attacks with his shield, Aegis, before countering with his blade, Fenrir. And Erik…Erik was currently dueling with a Boarbatusk, his fatigue clearly showing. He had been fighting twice as hard as the rest of them, both fighting the Grimm and trying to keep her out of danger. It was looking like it was taking its toll on him, as he left himself wide open to a charge from the massive Grimm. Grimacing in pain, he jammed his katana, Dragonfire, into a gap in between the boar's armor, but the beast suddenly tossed his head, flinging Erik twenty feet and simultaneously catching the blade of the katana in between the plates, snapping it in two. Erik cried out in pain as his back struck the stone cliff face, and Cinder saw his Aura flare weakly to life, trying to repair the damage to his back, but he was too tired. Wincing, he pushed himself up on one knee, coughing and hacking up a mouthful of blood. Cinder longed to go and help him, but at that moment, a Death Stalker lunged at her, its pincers ready to slice her in half. As she leapt out of the way, she saw the Grimm charging down Erik, who roared his defiance as he drew Black Jackal and ducked underneath the boar's tusks, jamming the twenty-four-inch long knife into the Grimm's soft underbelly. As the beast dissolved, he stood up, and she saw him sway once, twice, and then collapse, only to be caught by Omar, who dashed out of the way. Gritting her teeth, she focused in on her opponent, crossing her swords and blocking the Death Stalker's lethal stinger. She twisted in mid-air, connecting her swords into their bow form as she landed on the Grimm's back, and fired arrow after arrow into the beast, screaming with rage. How DARE they hurt her partner. The Death stalker thrashed, eventually throwing her off, but Holly took her place, firing volley after volley of dust rounds into the thing, which unleashed an inhuman screech as it collapsed. Sheathing her swords, she ran over to Omar and Erik, who was propped up against a rock, unconscious. 'Please, let him be okay.' She reached for him and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him-_

The loud sound of an airhorn startled her from her restless slumber, and she sat bolt upright, breathing heavily. From across the room, she heard a loud thud as Omar rolled off his bed in shock, and Holly jumped bolt upright, only to dash directly into the wall. A gale of laughter broke out from her side of the room, and looking, she saw Erik doubled over with mirth, an airhorn lying abandoned at his feet. Holly growled at him, and Omar straightened up, bashfully scratching the back of his neck. "Alright, team," Erik said, still smiling broadly with laughter, "we've got forty-five minutes until class starts. Everybody take a shower and grab some clothes, and we'll head out."

"I still can't believe you did that." Holly pouted as she walked next to Erik on their way to Professor Oobleck's History class, their first of the day. Instantly, the smile was back in place on Erik's face. "It was hysterical." Erik offered, turning the corner into the classroom and taking their seats at the back of the room. Holly sat down next to him, wearing her usual outfit of a grey hoodie and blue jeans, with a bandolier full of dust cartridges crisscrossing her chest and her staff, Oakthorn, resting across her back. Omar sat next to her, tipping his chair back on two legs, his black t-shirt and cargo shorts making him seem larger than his seven-foot-tall frame was, which was saying something, and his ever-present gauntlets on his wrists. Cinder edged past both of them and took the seat on Erik's right, wearing an open sleeveless leather jacket with a sarashi tied around her chest, and another around her hips, complimented by grey form-fitting pants. A brown leather belt wrapped around her waist and a pauldron sat on her left shoulder. Her twin blades, Icarus and Xerxes, were sheathed behind her back, their scabbards connected to her belt. As Professor Oobleck zipped in, his usual concoction of coffee and, it was rumored, jet fuel, they settled in for what was sure to be an interesting class again.

* * *

 _Three weeks later_

"Alright." Glynda said, calling the class to order. "For the end of today's class, I will call a student to the floor, and they will challenge someone to a fight. Is this understood?" The class nodded, and Professor Goodwitch looked down at her scroll. "Nile Shaw." Erik looked around, as the rich snob from outside of the airship step forward, an arrogant smirk on his face. As he arrived at the center of the arena, he pointed directly at Erik. "I challenge Erik Wolfe. Get down here." Erik stood up, picking his way through the crowd towards the aisle. He felt someone grab his arm, and turned to see Cinder's amber eyes boring into his own. "Kick his ass, Erik." Erik nodded, setting his shoulders and making his way down to the floor. Meeting Shaw in the middle, they shook hands, or attempted to crush the other's hands. After separating, they took a few paces back, before turning and facing each other. Shaw drew his rapier, flourishing it unnecessarily. Erik rolled his eyes, drawing Dragonfire from behind his back and going into his stance, crouched, with Dragonfire in front of him. Goodwitch raised her hand, and Erik's eyes narrowed, planning his first strike. Shaw's rapier was fast, but was terrible for defending against Erik's assault. Before Goodwitch signaled the match, Erik reached behind him, drawing Black Jackal in a backhanded grip. Goodwitch looked at both combatants, then dropped her hand, signaling the beginning of the match. Shaw acted as Erik predicted, the point of his rapier flashing as he darted towards him, a stab towards his head imminent. Erik leaned his head to the left, smirking as he turned, ramming an elbow into Shaw's ribs. The snob wheezed, and Erik slammed Black Jackal's hilt into his sternum, and then spun into a roundhouse kick that caught Shaw on the chin and knocked him back a few paces. Sheathing Dragonfire, he kept up the offensive and slammed a palm strike into Shaw's ribcage. Shaw's aura protected him from the worst of the blow, but he still bent double in pain. Erik smirked as he swept Shaw's legs out from underneath him, before leveling Black Jackal at his neck. "Dead." He called, as the display showed Shaw's aura dipping into the red. He waited until Goodwitch called the match, then holstered Black Jackal and offered a hand to his opponent. "Weak stuff, Shaw. I expected better, what with all of your talk." Shaw snarled as he batted Erik's hand away and leapt to his feet. "You little-" "That will be all, class. I will see you tomorrow." Erik smirked, waving to Shaw sarcastically before exiting the classroom and catching up with his team.

Somehow, he felt this wouldn't be the last time he and Nile Shaw clashed.

* * *

 **There ya go! Hope you guys enjoyed  
**

 **Now, I have a question for you guys, if you feel like answering. I have two different versions of ECHO's time at Beacon. One is more abbreviated, with larger time skips, and it gets down to the real action of the story a lot quicker. The other is less abbreviated, and has more of the daily lives of our heroes, but will take a while to build to any action. So my question is which one would you guys like to see? If you feel like answering, review or pm me. Even if you don't, follow, favorite and all that jazz if you enjoyed, and I'll see you next time!**

 **Until we meet again, may the sun always be at your back and the wind fill your wings!**

 **~StormDragonSlayer**


	6. Out on the Town

**Hey guys, Storm here! I have chapter six here, and I hope you guys enjoy it!**

 **Yeah, maybe two months is a little long...**

 **Sorry!**

 **STORM OUT!**

* * *

 _One month later_

"Yay!" Holly said, bouncing up and down so fast she practically vibrated. Omar rolled his eyes and placed his hand on her shoulder, forcing her to stay grounded. The team was going out on the town on their day off, visiting some restaurants and shops and generally enjoying the day, which was warm and humid. The pair turned around as Cinder ran out into the courtyard, out of breath, but smiling widely, dressed in a crimson tank top and black shorts which came down to her knees, as well as her usual combat boots. "Hey, guys!" She slowed to a walk as she realized they weren't leaving yet, looking around for the one missing person. "Where's Erik?"

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit…" Erik said, hastily throwing clothes on and grabbing a baseball cap, before darting out of the dorm room. He was fifteen minutes late to meeting up with the rest of the team and going to have fun on the town. Holly was going tear him a new one. He sprinted through the halls of Beacon, at one point running on the wall around a pair of stunned upperclassmen before continuing on his way.

"Where is he?!" Holly said, now pacing angrily across the courtyard as groups of students walked past, talking and laughing and sometimes shooting sidelong glances at the short ball of blue-haired fury. In the two months that they had been at Beacon, Holly had earned a reputation for being someone you did not cross, lest you end up either curled in a ball crying from her sharp tongue or nursing several bruises from Oakthorn, her staff/machine gun. Wisely, the rest of the students gave her a wide berth, the only person near her being Omar, who sat on a bench near where she was pacing, shaking his head. _Rest in peace, Erik._ He thought.

"Please don't kill me, please don't kill me, please don't kill me…" Erik whispered, bursting into the courtyard five minutes later, not quite out of breath but breathing hard. He straightened up to see three pairs of eyes on him, one green, one gold, and one _extremely_ pissed set of brown eyes. "ERIK WOLFE!" Holly shouted, marching over to him and pointing an accusing finger at him, causing him to trip over his feet and fall flat on his butt. "We were supposed to leave TWENTY MINUTES AGO, but NOOOO! You had to be late and delay us, didn't you!" Holly threw her arms up in disgust. "I've half a mind to beat a sense of punctuality into you with Oakthorn!" She stalked off towards Omar, still muttering about obnoxious boys and their lack of punctuality. Erik sat there, stunned, before laughing nervously, eyeing Cinder, who shrugged. "You deserved it." She said, smirking as she helped him to his feet. "You were late, dear team leader." Erik smiled easily. "True."

"Oh, my GOD. That was SOOOOOO good." Holly said, as they walked out of a grill near downtown Vale. "The burger was really well grilled, and the fries were seasoned perfectly, and mmmm…" The last part came out muffled as Omar put his hand over her mouth, effectively silencing her. "We know. You told us while we were eating." Holly glared at him, and was about to take a step out into the street when Erik threw out an arm, catching her before she stepped out, his other arm catching Cinder in the stomach as she took a step forward as well. A second later, a massive crash sounded in front of them as two people came to a stop in front of them. One was a woman, with snow white hair tied in a professional bun, dressed in a white military uniform and wielding twin cutlasses. The other was a man, with unkempt black hair swept back to keep it out of his face and red eyes that lazily surveyed his opponent as they broke apart, circling each other. He wore a gray dress shirt, unbuttoned and untucked to show a white undershirt, as well as black pants and dress shoes. He had a massive broadsword in one-handed grip, and was smirking at his opponent. "What's the matter, Ice Queen?" He said, in a lazy drawl. "Can't handle me when I'm sober?" The woman growled, before launching herself forward, intent on decapitating her foe.

"Oh, my god!" Holly shouted, tugging at Erik's arm, which was still holding her back. "We've got to break them up!" Erik merely chuckled, his attention focused on the fight. "Sure, Holly. You get in between Qrow Branwen and his opponent. Let's see what happens." Raising his voice, he addressed the pair. "Alright there, Uncle Qrow? Need the kids to step in and finish your fight?" The fighting pair broke apart, both turning to face the group of people now assembled outside of the bar. Qrow smirked, cheekily waving to Erik, while the other combatant glared daggers at Qrow. "The next time you say anything bad about the General, I will personally remove your tongue." The woman growled, before turning and stalking away. Qrow just laughed, cheekily waving to the woman's back, before turning and hugging Erik. "What's up, kid?" He said, clapping Erik on the shoulder. "Not much," the taller teen said, taking a step back as the rest of his team joined him, "just hanging out with my team." He indicated the other three. "This is my partner, Cinder." Cinder nodded respectfully, blushing a bit. "The ball of blue-haired nuclear energy over there is Holly." "OhmiGOD, you're Qrow Branwen!" Holly said, bounding forward and shaking Qrow's hand with unstoppable vigor. "You are like, my favorite Huntsman EVER!" "Right," Erik said, rolling his eyes. "And the tall, silent one is Omar." Omar nodded, shaking Qrow's hand. Qrow stood back, admiring the team. "You guys have fun. A little advice from a fully-fledged huntsman: ALWAYS protect your teammates." His eyes took on a downcast turn. "No matter what." With that, he walked off, waving over his shoulder before taking a swig out of his flask.

"Well," Omar said, as they made their way to the airbus depot, "he was a ray of sunshine."

* * *

 **Three brownie points to whomever can guess who Qrow's opponent is.**

 **There ya go! Chapter Six is in the books, and be on the lookout for Chapter Seven sometime in the near future!  
**

 **In response to reviews:**

 **Rnij: Thanks for the input! I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'll try not to disappoint on the slice of life parts!**

 **That's it for the reviews. I'm hoping to see more, because reviews get me more motivated, even if they are negative!**

 **Until we meet again, may the sun always be at your back and the wind fill your wings!**

 **~StormDragonSlayer**


	7. Gym Work

**Hey guys, Storm here, and I'm back with Chapter Seven of EOF! I really hope you guys are enjoying the story!**

 **Tyson113: Sorry about that. The chapters should start getting longer as I get more into the action of the story, but I'll try my hardest! I know that this one was almost 1400 words before author's notes, so...progress?**

* * *

Erik Wolfe lay on his back in the gym of Beacon Academy, staring up at the ceiling with a slight smile on his face, listening to the music blaring through his headphones. His bare torso was glistening with sweat, and his weapons, Dragonfire and Black Jackal, were leaned up against the wall. Arranged around him were ten of Beacon's stationary training dummies, in a sort-of swirl pattern. Suddenly, as if by some unspoken signal, he rocked back onto his shoulders, placing his hands behind his head and spinning into a helicopter kick, knocking two of the dummies backwards. Stopping his spin, he pushed off with his hands, leaping over a third dummy. Grabbing it by the shoulders, Erik flipped so that his feet were beneath him, landing and flinging the dummy thirty feet away into the wall. Proceeding to the next one, he twisted into a butterfly kick, leaping over an imagined weapon and rotating on his plant leg when he landed, bringing his other leg down on the top of the dummy's head with a powerful axe kick. Crouching down, he planted his hands and kicked out into a fifth dummy, landing a crunching two-footed kick to the dummy's torso that would have shattered ribs on a normal human. Leaving the ground, he landed on top of the dummy, crouching down and leaping backwards, slamming an elbow into the sixth mannequin's head, and followed that move by planting a leg and spinning into a roundhouse kick that caught the seventh dummy directly in the sternum. Continuing his spin, Erik tapped into his semblance and sent the remaining three dummies flying into the far wall with a strong gust of wind. He remained in that position for a few moments, knees bent with an arm extended, before straightening up and taking a few deep calming breaths, shaking out his arms and legs to get rid of the slight ache from the exertion. Walking over to his things, he picked up his scroll, checking on his aura, which was still squarely in the green. Smiling to himself, he sat down and began stretching out his legs.

It had been three months since Erik left Patch for Beacon Academy, and there was a marked difference between then and now, both in personality and in looks. For starters, he had grown a further two inches since he started at Beacon, now topping six-foot-two, and his short silver hair had grown out into a full-blown mop. He really needed to get it cut. Running his hand through said silver locks, he stood up again, this time grabbing Black Jackal and Dragonfire. Wandering about the room, he reset the dummies and got settled in the center of the swirl, his right hand on the hilt of Dragonfire and his left arm held out and across his body. At an unspoken signal, he darted forward, drawing Dragonfire and slashing across his body diagonally, bisecting the dummy. Not resting on his slash, he pivoted to the side, bringing Black Jackal around and burying it in the side of another dummy. Withdrawing his blade, he leapt forward and kicked the dummy in the stomach, using the momentum to twist into a roundhouse kick to another dummy's head. Landing back on his feet, he lunged forward, stabbing a fourth dummy through center mass before twisting, tossing the mannequin at another one as he spun Black Jackal down into pistol form, taking aim, he shot both dummies through the head, before spinning one-hundred and eighty degrees to take out the last set.

He froze as he saw Cinder standing in the entrance to the gym, leaning up against the doorway with her arms folded across her chest, a small smile playing across her lips and a light blush on her cheeks. She was dressed in a crimson crop top and a pair of black leggings that drew his attention to a fact that he was beginning to notice a lot as of late. His partner was extremely attractive. Simultaneously, he realized that he probably looked ridiculous, with his shirt off, covered in sweat, with Dragonfire extended and stabbing a training dummy in the stomach while Black Jackal was in pistol form pointed to his left. Self-conscious, he straightened up, allowing the mannequin to slide off the end of Dragonfire's blade and land with a soft thud on the floor of the gym. "Uh…hey, Cinder." He started, taking off his headphones and scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "What…ah, what brings you here?" "Well," Cinder said, pushing herself off of the doorframe and walking towards Erik, "I was hoping to train a little before the winter combat exam, but if you're busy, I could come back…" She glanced up at him at this, and again, Erik was star-struck at how attractive his partner was. Shaking his head slowly, he blinked several times before coming to his senses. "Um, no! I was just about to finish up, actually, so you're fine!" Cinder smiled again. "Great!" She said, brushing her hair out of her face. "Um, actually…" Erik had just been about to walk over and grab his shirt, but he turned back to his partner and raised an eyebrow. "Yeah?" He asked. Cinder glanced down at the floor, rubbing her elbow. "Could you…help me train?" Erik quirked an eyebrow at her, turning to face her. "I mean, I think I'm decent with Xerxes and Icarus, but I could probably use some work on hand-to-hand combat, and…" She trailed off, still rubbing her elbow. Erik smirked. "Alright, then." He said, instead taking a drink from his bottle of water, before returning to the center of the floor. "Let's see how you move."

The pair set up in the center of the room, Cinder taking a standard martial arts stance and Erik taking his own stance, standing straight with his arms down at his sides. The two sized each other up, before Cinder took a run at Erik, leaping into the air and spinning into a roundhouse kick. Erik raised his right arm, blocking the kick, and Cinder landed, tossing a left hook. Erik ducked under the hook, sweeping a leg at Cinder's ankles, but Cinder somersaulted over it, rolling past Erik and popping up to her feet, spinning into a heel kick which forced Erik backwards. Pressing her advantage, Cinder launched into an aggressive combination of jabs, most of which were evaded by Erik as he looked over his partner's form, which he had to say, was rather good. She needed to work on her footwork, as she was too loose at times, but other than that, she was a solid fighter. Although, she wasn't on the level that Erik was. Deciding to step it up a notch, Erik ducked under a jab and drove an elbow underneath Cinder's arm, knocking the wind out of the girl, who stumbled backwards a few steps. Now on the offensive, Erik lashed out with a kick, which was ducked under, before quickly rotating his hips and bringing his foot down into an axe kick. This one slammed into Cinder, who was caught off guard by the sudden attack and knocked to the floor.

Erik smiled as he helped Cinder to her feet. "That was actually really good, Cin." He said, and the girl just blushed, rubbing the back of her neck. "But I lost, though." She mumbled, and Erik laughed, pulling her into a hug. "you said it yourself, you could use some work. You're a little too off-balance going forward. But that was really good!" Cinder smiled up at him, her amber eyes shining. "Thanks, Erik. How did you get so good?" Erik laughed. "Getting my ass kicked repeatedly by my uncle." He said, and the two of them laughed. Erik set up again, this time giving Cinder pointers and staying on the defensive as Cinder attacked.

By the end of the night, Cinder was more confident in her footwork, although she never got the best of Erik, who made the art of fighting look more like dancing. Every movement was crisp and fluid, every strike wasted minimal energy and landed where it was intended. He literally was just like his namesake, a clever and strong warrior who waited for the perfect moment to strike.

Cinder was glade that she was on the same side as this wolf.

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 **There ya go! Hope you guys enjoyed! Follow, favorite, and review if you did!**

 **I don't know how well it's coming off, but Erik's fighting style is supposed to be a lot like Mugen's from Samurai Champloo. I hope it seems like that...**

 **Anyways, guys, I'll catch you on the flip side!**

 **Until next time**

 **May the sun always be at your back and the wind fill your wings!**

 **~StormDragonSlayer**


	8. Life Update

Hey, guys, Storm here.

Now, I know this isn't the update that you all would like, but a temporary halt will be called to all stories. Keep reading to hear why.

I was getting in the flow of the multiple chapters I was working on (8 for Eyes on Fire, 11 for Spark, 2 for Drown the Pain, Down the Bottle [which you guys really seemed to like by the way, let me know if I should do more one shots.]) and I was on my way home from work last Friday. Now, I ride a bike to and from work, and it being 10:10, naturally it was dark.

Long story short, I hit a divot in the sidewalk and crashed my bike. And ended up in Methodist Regional Hospital Trauma Center for the weekend, my jaw broken in two places and dislocated.

Yeah, ouch.

Now, I probably will finish those chapters at some point, but with my jaw being wired shut, doped up on painkillers and antibiotics, and in pain, I won't be able to finish them with the quality that I demand out of myself anytime soon.

So, until further notice, do not expect any updates.

Oh, and don't worry, I'm on the road to recovery and should be right as rain (hah) by November.

Just remember, May the sun always be at your backs and the wind fill your wings! 

See you guys in a minute,

~ **StormDragonSlayer**


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